


Solitary Man

by DNAchemLia



Series: Dead Reckonings 'verse [5]
Category: Highlander: The Series, NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:52:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DNAchemLia/pseuds/DNAchemLia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony DiNozzo always worked alone. Until he was assigned a new partner, one that seemed oddly familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the NFA Diamond (as in Neil) and Future Fic Challenges
> 
> Dead Reckonings 'verse, set many years after Memento Mori
> 
> Crossover with Highlander: the Series (but no characters from the crossover appear).
> 
> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of their respective copyright holders. No infringement intended. The original characters and places mentioned are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to those living, dead, or undead is completely coincidental.

"DiNozzo!"

Thomas A. "Tony" DiNozzo slowly turned his attention from the report he had been laboriously writing to the short, balding man standing just outside his cubicle.

"Yeah, Boss?"

The man's thin lips pursed and his blue eyes flashed in annoyance. "Must I remind you, it's 'Captain' or 'Sir'. Not 'Boss'."

"Yes, Boss...Sir," Tony replied with a cocky grin, earning him a chuckle from his closest neighbor and an irritated eye-roll from his supervisor. He noticed another man standing just behind the Captain and turned to study the newcomer. "Who's your pal?"

A flicker of a smug smile crossed the Captain's face and he took a step to the side so the other man was in full view. "Meet Officer Timothy MacGregor. Your new partner."

Tony groaned and produced his own eye-roll in response. "Don't need a partner, Cap'n. I do my best work alone."

"So you've been telling me for years, Di _Nut_ zo. Unfortunately the new regulations won't allow it. It's too dangerous for law enforcement personnel to conduct police business without backup."

"Yeah, yeah," he groused and gave Officer MacGregor the once-over. He was tall but not gangly, with no extra weight around the middle but his face was still showed traces of baby fat. He wore his hair longer than the typical police officer and from beneath his sandy brown bangs a pair of striking green eyes watched the older man with mild curiosity. " _He's_  going to back me up? What is he, twelve?" Tony saw a flash of humor in the officer's eyes, certainly not what he expected in the face of such an insult, and paused to study the man more carefully. "Looks like he belongs with the geeks, not on the streets."

"Officer MacGregor earned top scores at the Academy, in  _all_ areas. Including hand-to-hand combat."

"Really?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should throw-down sometime,  _Timothy_." Again, a flash of humor crossed the man's face and Tony felt a faint stir of unease in his gut. There was something strangely familiar about the man but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, and while he looked like a new recruit there was something in his gaze that spoke of far more experience than the typical rookie. Deciding that he'd need to keep a close eye on his new partner, he turned to the man in the cubicle next to his own and spoke in a stage whisper.

"Hey, Frank. Wanna take bets on how long this one will last?" He turned to study MacGregor again and smirked. "I give him a day at most. Maybe two if he's lucky."

"Not taking that bet," Frank muttered and returned to his work as Tony sent the Captain a feral grin.

"Sure he can handle this, Cap'n? The 'City of Brotherly Love' ain't so lovin' to cops, you know, especially fresh meat like him."

"I'm sure you'll find him to be an adequate partner, DiNozzo. As long as you follow procedure," he added with a pointed look.

"You know me, always a stickler for the rules."

The Captain snorted softly and turned to MacGregor. "Good luck, Officer. I trust you'll have no trouble keeping Officer DiNozzo in line."

"No, Sir, no trouble at all," MacGregor replied with a slight smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

"You partnered me with a masochist?" Tony asked, his eyes wide in fake horror. "What is the world coming to?"

"Get back to work, DiNozzo. Your patrol shift starts in an hour."

"Aye, Cap'n." Tony gave him a mock salute and the Captain just shook his head before heading back to his office. A maintenance worker arrived just as the Captain was leaving, pushing a cart of equipment, and before Tony quite registered what was happening another chair had been added to his cubicle and he was sharing his desk with a second network module. MacGregor sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Tony's desk and logged into the network without a word.

Chagrined by the invasion of his space, Tony smacked his hand on the surface of the desk and smirked in satisfaction when the other man jumped slightly.

"So,  _Officer MacGregor_ …" He paused as those disturbing green eyes met his. "What do I call you? Timothy? Mac?"

"Tim is fine. Or MacGregor. Your choice,  _Officer DiNozzo_."

Tony grinned. The kid had spunk, he'd give him that. "Tony. Most people call me Tony."

MacGregor's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Not...Thomas? Or Tom?"

"Nope. Named after my great-grandfather. First in the family to join the force, and we've been LEOs ever since."

"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you...Tony."

Tony chuckled and shook his head. "You're too polite for a cop, Tim." He raised his voice and directed the next statement to the occupant of the adjoining cubicle. "Might have to decrease my time frame for how long you'll last out there."

Tim just smiled. "You never know, Tony. I might surprise you."

_And_ _ **that's**_   _what I'm worried about…_

Soon it was time to prepare to go out on patrol and Tony led Tim to the locker room to get their gear. Law enforcement officers hadn't been permitted to use deadly weapons for years; the classic semi-automatic pistol that Tony's grandfather and and great-grandfather had used had been replaced with a less-traumatic version of a taser. It rendered the subject instantly helpless, without the danger posed by its predecessor. Unfortunately, one had to actually  _hit_  the subject on the first try, which was easier said than done. Also unfortunate was the fact that criminals still had access to projectile weapons, most even more deadly than their predecessors, and the current uniform needed to provide protection against them.

Tony was surprised (and slightly impressed, which he'd never admit) that Tim seemed to know how to assemble the standard street-officer's uniform. He made a show of checking the younger man's work and gave him a curt nod when he found everything exactly as it should be.

"Rookie rides shotgun," he declared, expecting puzzlement at the reference, but Tim said nothing and climbed into the passenger seat of their armored cruiser. Tony scanned his ID and unplugged the cruiser from its charging port before climbing in the driver's seat and guiding it out of the garage onto the streets of Philadelphia.

Tony had always been amused by the 'future' shown in old movies, where in the late 21st century cars with wheels were absent and everyone piloted flying machines. The reality of  _his_  present was that only the obscenely rich could afford any sort of flying vehicle and the common man (and police officer) was denegated to traveling around on four (or sometimes two or three) wheels. The appearance of the cars was actually similar to those shown in the movies, and gasoline-powered engines were a thing of the past, but otherwise not much else had changed.

And traffic was still horrendous.

These thoughts occupied Tony as he drove their prescribed route, checking for signs of nefarious activity and listening to the police broadband. He fell into the familiar routine, almost forgetting his quiet passenger was even there. Finally he decided to break the silence that was actually starting to bother him.

"Not much excitement tonight, eh, Tim?" Tim glanced at Tony and shook his head, still annoyingly silent. "Makes ya wonder why they insist we pair up. As for me, I prefer being by myself. Been that way for years. Don't see much point of changing what works." Tim gave a noncommittal shrug. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You'd rather be back at headquarters working with the geeks, wouldn't ya?"

"Not particularly."

"Ah, he can speak! Nice to know I'm not hauling a drone around. You're not a drone, are ya, Tim?"

That strange smile, signaling some private amusement crossed Tim's face. "I'm not a drone."

"Glad to hear it." Tony had always harbored a secret fear that he would be replaced by some machine, another fact he'd never share with his new partner. "Of course if you were one, you probably wouldn't tell me, right?"

"Probably, but you don't have to worry. Strictly flesh and blood over here, I promise."

"Right." He drove on in silence for a couple of blocks before asking his next question. "Why'd you decide to become a cop?"

"I tried other things. They just didn't seem to fit."

"And this does? What are you, some sort of adrenaline junky? In it for the danger?"

"No. Not at all. I joined law enforcement because it's the right thing to do."

"Oh, Lord, we've got an idealist on our hands. Trust me, kid, a few days, no, make that  _hours_  on the streets will crush that attitude flatter than my ex-girlfriend's singing."

Tim just gave him that strange, amused smile and went back to keeping an eye on the streets. After covertly studying his new partner for several minutes, Tony finally decided he'd have to ask his cousin, one of the geeks, to do a little checking on this Timothy MacGregor. Something about him was 'off' and Tony didn't want any nasty surprises.

Luckily for the two men, no surprises, nasty or otherwise, presented themselves that evening. At the end of the shift they returned to the garage where they left the cruiser before heading for the locker room. Happy to finally be free of the street uniform, Tony changed into his after-work attire and met Tim on his way out of the locker room.

"Want to go grab a drink, Tim? I know this great place...well, all the cops know it. It would be good for you to hear more of the reality of law enforcement from the regulars."

"Maybe some other time. I have an appointment I have to keep."

"Appointment? With what, a doctor? Are you sick or something?"

Tim just chuckled. "No, with my trainer. Gotta keep in shape, right?"

Tony unconsciously rubbed a hand over his slightly thick middle. "Right. I do my 'training' before work, though. If you ever need to see a real workout…"

"I'll know who to ask. Goodnight, Tony."

"'Night, kid."

Tony watched Tim leave before exiting the lock room and heading for the garage where his personal vehicle was parked. He guided the three-wheeled compact out of the garage and toward home, deciding to forego his usual post-work beer. Once he had arrived at his small apartment he grabbed a soda from the fridge and settled into his favorite chair, enjoying the peace and quiet. After he had finished his drink, his thoughts turned to his new partner.

While Tony had always preferred to work alone, without the responsibility of keeping someone else safe, he was surprised to discover he had rather enjoyed the company on his rounds tonight. MacGregor had proved to be experienced enough that Tony didn't feel the need to be overly protective, but had still provided a new sounding board for Tony's rather rambling commentary. He supposed he could get used to this partner-thing. He knew his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all had them, and he had always enjoyed listening to the reminisces of his elders concerning their closest co-workers. He had always doubted that he'd have such stories to tell, but now, maybe, he wouldn't completely regret breaking his solitary streak.

With a sigh, Tony levered himself out of his chair and walked over to a well-worn wooden chest that sat in the corner. His co-workers would have been surprised to learn of its contents-family heirlooms and mementos-since he had never presented himself as sentimental. In reality he enjoyed reading about his history. It gave him a strange sense of security in an all-too-uncertain existence.

He quickly found what he was looking for-an old-fashioned photo album-and returned to his chair to peruse it. He started at the back, smiling at the images of his grandfather's early days on the force. He carefully turned the pages as he moved backwards and time and towards the front of the album, chuckling every so often at the odd clothing and awkward poses his grandfather produced for the camera. Eventually he moved to the pictures which showed his great-grandfather Tony, whose cheeky grinned was the same as his namesake. Eventually he reached some of the earliest shots he had of his family, Tony's wedding to great-grandmother Zoe, and chuckled again when he saw the array of characters joining him in those pictures-from the outwardly serious man who had served as great-granddad's mentor, to his honorary great-great-aunt, whose Goth attire was, in Tony's opinion, quite out of place in a wedding celebration.

Finally he turned to the first page of the album, which held, in its archival covering, the oldest picture Tony owned of one of his family members, and froze as he stared at the image. It depicted the elder Tony, his right arm casually slung over the shoulder of another man, who looked both annoyed and amused at the gesture.

He also looked exactly like Tony's current partner, Timothy MacGregor.

Tony blinked and brought the image closer. The resemblance was uncanny. He let out a soft huff of laughter before he stared at the picture again. The illusion of similarity was not broken. He reached in his memory to retrieve the man's name.

_Tim. Timothy McGee._

His grandfather had passed down stories to him of his own father's misadventures as a federal agent, and stories of the man who had covered great-granddad's six for years had been included in those tales, especially his last act of heroism that had saved his partner's life and cost him his own. Tony had to wonder if maybe this was a distant relative of MacGregor's, and fate had brought the two families together once again.

_Damn. That is one hell of a coincidence…_

Almost immediately his grandfather's voice echoed in his mind.

_Family rule, son: no such thing as coincidence._

Tony shook his head. If that were true, then just what exactly was going on here?

_And who-or what- is Timothy MacGregor?_

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Tony arrived at the office early, hoping to have some time to himself to do a little research before his new partner showed up, but was disappointed to find that the other half of his desk was already occupied.

"Good morning, Tony."

"It's not morning, and you're still too polite to be a cop," he groused, earning a curious look.

"Something happen?"

"No, that's his usual sunny disposition," the Captain offered as he passed by their desk. "My office, DiNozzo. Now."

Tony muttered a few choices phrases under his breath as he followed the older man to his office.

"Is there a problem, Cap'n?" he asked after the door was closed.

"You tell me. How did your patrol go last night?"

"Pretty routine. No disturbances."

"And MacGregor?"

"No problems with him, either. Why? Did he complain?"

"No. Did he have a reason to do so?"

"Not that I know of, but he's a little weird, you know, so…"

"You can handle 'weird'. Is he a satisfactory partner?"

"He's… He'll do. Since apparently I have to be saddled with one, he's as good as any."

"Glad to hear it. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir."

Tony quickly returned to his desk and flopped down in his chair, still muttering curses under his breath.

"Everything OK?"

"Fine. The principal was just making sure little Timmy did OK at his first day of school." He glanced up at Tim and saw not anger but sympathy in his expression, which darkened Tony's mood even more.

"Come on. Time to gear up."

Tim silently followed him to the locker room and soon they were dressed and in the cruiser. Once they were strapped in, Tim turned to Tony.

"Is everything else OK?"

"Fine. Let's go."

Tony guided the cruiser out of the garage and started out on their normal patrol route. As he drove he managed to get his anger under control. It really wasn't Tim's fault that Captain Foster enjoyed yanking his chain on occasion, and Tony had to admit he was always happy to push the Captain's buttons as well. After a few miles, his most recent annoyance had faded and he remembered the previous subject of his concern: the apparent doppelgänger riding shotgun.

"Hey, Tim. You ever hear of a guy named Tim McGee?"

Tim turned to him, a puzzled expression on his face. "No. Should I have heard of him?"

"Well, that depends. I thought he might have been one of your ancestors. You look exactly like him."

Tim's eyebrows rose. "How do you know that?"

"He was my great-grandfather's partner. I was looking at old photos last night and noticed the resemblance. You sure he's not a great-uncle or something?"

Tim smiled sadly and shook his head. "I suppose he could be, but I wouldn't know. I don't know anything about my biological family since I'm adopted."

It was Tony's turn for raised eyebrows. "Really? You have no idea? I mean, your adoptive parents didn't have any contact with your birth mother?"

Tim shook his head again. "Apparently I was abandoned. My mother - my adoptive mother, that is- found me on a beach in Rhode Island. She tried to find my family, but… No luck. I guess they didn't want to be found."

"Huh. So maybe you are related to Tim McGee. It would be a hell of a coincidence otherwise, you looking just like him.

"No such thing as coincidence."

Tony froze for a brief moment before turning to Tim. "How did you know that?"

"Uh, know what?"

"' _No such thing as coincidence_ '. It's an old family rule.  _My_ family's rule. So how did you know?"

Tim sighed. "I didn't. It's just something an old boss used to say. I didn't know it was a family thing."

"Where did your boss hear it?"

"I don't know, Tony. I never asked him."

Before Tony could respond the Dispatch screen flashed and a message rolled across it.

_437 at 1543 Castor Ave. All units respond._

Tony groaned as he began to explain what they'd be walking into. "A 437 is an-"

"Assault with a deadly weapon."

"Right." Tony hit the siren and they headed for the address, only about a block away. The building turned out to be a very run-down apartment building. The two men grabbed their own non-deadly-but-incapacitating weapons and headed inside, screams of pain directing them to the victim slumped just outside an open apartment door on the second floor. She was bleeding from a bullet wound in the shoulder and her attacker was nowhere to be seen.

"Which way?" Tony barked and she shakily pointed to the stairwell. "Stay with her," he ordered and before Tim could protest he ran down the hall and pulled open the door, his weapon at the ready. The descending stairs were deserted and Tony heard a door shut above him so he carefully started climbing the stairs, checking each door and hallway as he ascended. After reaching the fourth floor and finding nothing he cursed and started back down.

A soft creak was his only warning before the third floor door slammed into him and he tumbled down the stairs, hitting the landing with a bone-jarring crash. He looked up to see a man emerge from the doorway, a cruel smile on his face and a gun in his hand, pointed directly at Tony. Tony tried to reach his own weapon before the man pulled the trigger but to his surprise the man froze, a startled expression on his face. A few second later the man pitched forward and tumble down the stairs, landing a few feet from Tony as he scrambled to get out of the way. He looked around and saw Tim ascend the last two stairs to the landing, his stun gun in hand.

After he checked to make sure the perp was still immobile he turned to Tony, who expected the younger man to show relief or worry at what had almost happened. What Tony didn't expect was anger. Tim was  _pissed._

"What in the hell were you thinking? You have backup for a reason, Tony!"

"I told you to stay with the victim…"

"And you should be damn glad I didn't." He offered a hand and Tony took it, allowing Tim to pull him, surprisingly roughly, to his feet. "Backup arrived. I went to find you. Saw the perp slam the door open and figured he was attacking you."

"Good guess."

Tim fixed him with a stern glare that somehow made Tony feel very, very young. "Next time, wait for backup."

"OK," Tony replied meekly, unable to comprehend why he just felt like he'd been scolded by his grandfather. "You know," he began, after they had secured the prisoner and called for transport. "I'm supposed to be the one doing the scolding."

"If I do something that stupid, feel free."

Tony bristled. "If you think I'm that stupid, why are we partners?"

Tim rolled his eyes. "I don't think you're stupid, Tony. You just need to learn to trust people."

"Good way to get killed, Tim."

"Like you almost did?"

"OK, good point. Still…"

"You  _can_  trust me, Tony. Give it a chance."

"Fine. I'll try."

"Thank you."

After finishing up at the scene they headed back to headquarters, a requirement after any incident. Tony expected Tim to rat him out to the Captain, but the younger man gave an edited story, one that did not show Tony breaking protocol. The Captain merely nodded after the report and dismissed them, instructing the officers to complete their patrol.

Back on the street, Tony drove in silence. He was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea that someone could be trusted to have his six, and even more of a hard time accepting the fact that it was some rookie who didn't even look like he belonged in uniform. Finally he decided he'd try to work with Tim, although he'd still be keeping a sharp eye on him. His gut was telling him that there was more to Tim MacGregor than meets the eye.

XXX

" _499 at 237 Windemere Dr. All Units respond."_

Tony winced as he read the Dispatch screen and quickly (an unnecessarily, after four months of riding together) for his partner. "Multiple homicide, armed suspect still on premises. Great. So much for an easy tour."

"We're three miles from the site. There'll be plenty of backup by the time we get there," Tim replied, and Tony nodded absently in reply as he focused on getting them there.

Tony had to admit to himself that this partner thing maybe wasn't so bad, after all. Having someone to talk to during their normally quiet tours was actually preferable to silence. Knowing that someone would be his immediate backup had taken some of the stress out of the job, and much to his surprise Tim had proven himself to be an asset while hunting down the dirtbags that Dispatch threw at them. If he would allow himself to do so, Tony would have to admit that he had come to appreciate not being on his own anymore.

When they arrived they were surprised to see only one other cruiser at the scene. Tim glanced at Tony, a worried expression on his face before they got out and cautiously headed for the building, an old warehouse that looked like it hadn't been used in years.

Just inside the door they found the bodies of two patrolmen, their protective vests covered with blood. Tony swore as he immediately realized what had happened.

"Armor piercing bullets. This guy means business."

Tim nodded and called in to Dispatch, explaining the situation and requesting more backup. When he was finished they cautiously moved deeper into the building, stun guns at the ready and hoping they wouldn't have to depend on them before backup arrived.

Soon they discovered another group of bodies and Tony swore again when he saw the damage. The perp had a high-powered handgun in addition to cop-killer bullets. It was time to beat a hasty retreat.

"Let's go," he whispered to Tim, tilting his head towards the entrance. Tim nodded and moved with him, both of them keeping an eye out for the gunman. They had almost made it to the door when Tony caught the sound of glass crunching underfoot. He turned in time to see a dark shape emerge from the shadows, the very recognizable shape of a gun it its hands.

Before he could react, the man raised the gun and he felt himself shoved to the ground as Tim stepped in front of him and the sound of a gunshot shattered the night. He watched in horror as the bullet slammed into his partner and the man fell to the floor in a heap, silent and unmoving. A split second later another bullet screamed past his ear and he ducked, rolling out of the line of fire and behind a stack of heavy concrete blocks that were piled just inside the door.

Desperately trying to catch his breath, Tony's gaze drifted to the spot where his partner's body lay and he cursed the man's impulse protect him.  _Damn it, Tim, why did you have to do something so_ _ **stupid**_ _?_

More bullets slammed into the area over his head and Tony managed to flatten himself to the ground as he desperately called for backup. Realizing that the sounds of gunfire were getting closer, he scrambled towards another obstacle, with several bullets barely missing him and one creasing his arm.

"Stop running, cop! You're not getting out of here. You're dead, just like your partner."

Tony bit back the moan of anguish he felt at the reminder. He'd get out of this, and the bastard who had killed his partner would pay. He'd see to it.

"Back-up's on the way, dirtbag. Give yourself up. There's nowhere a cop killer can hide."

Tony heard a bark of laughter. "Right. And what will they do, tickle me with those little toys you carry? I'll take my chances."

Suddenly, to Tony's relief, he caught the sound of sirens. He just had to wait until…

"What the  _f-?_ " The man's voice sounded high and frightened, and Tony peeked over the top of the pile just in time to see the man fall, clearly hit by a jolt from a fully cranked stun gun. He looked up to see who had come to his rescue and froze in disbelief. Tim MacGregor was standing a few feet away, weapon in hand.

"What in the  _hell?"_

Tim quickly moved to cuff the inert shooter before turning to Tony, a worried expression on his face.

"Tony, you OK?" He noticed the wound in Tony's arm and winced. "You were hit. Is that the only-?"

"You were  _dead_."

"Tony…"

"He shot you. In the chest. I saw it." He turned his gaze to Tim's vest and saw the damage in the material, with a small patch of undamaged skin visible through the hole. "How-?"

"I'll explain later, I promise. Please don't say anything about this. Tony,  _please_ …"

Tony nodded, his eyes still on the hole in Tim's vest. Tim gave him a brief, grateful smile before helping him to his feet. Tony managed to stumble after him as Tim quickly walked to the cruiser and grabbed a spare vest that Tony hadn't even realized he had out of the trunk.

"You were prepared for something like this." Tim nodded. "But how are you going to explain what happened to the other vest to the Captain?"

"I've got it covered."

"OK…"

Tim had just finished stowing the damaged vest in the trunk when the first cruiser screeched to a stop a few yards away. Tim quickly gave the officers an edited version of what had happened as more cruisers arrived. Soon the warehouse had been thoroughly searched, with no other gunmen to be found. The one Tim had subdued was carried out to a waiting prisoner transport vehicle, his eyes widening in fear when he caught sight of the junior officer.

The morgue wagon and ambulance arrived at the same time, which Tony found oddly amusing and recognized that his barely controlled hysteria probably had something to do with that. He refused the pleas of the medics to let them take him to a hospital, arguing that the graze he'd received wasn't even worth the effort. After being patched up, he went back to his cruiser and waited, wondering if he really was going to get an explanation of what had transpired that evening.

Finally the scene was finished being processed and Tony and Tim were allowed to leave. Tim offered to drive and for once Tony didn't argue. He climbed into the passenger seat and watched the younger man during the entire drive, which didn't seem to trouble Tim as much as Tony had expected it would.

After they had changed back into their normal clothes, Tim silently indicated that Tony was to follow him and they walked to the garage where Tim's car was parked. It was much nicer than Tony expected.

"Got something on the side?" he asked suspiciously and Tim chuckled softly.

"Not what you're thinking. I write. It pays for a few nice things."

"Yeah, I can see that. Where are we going?"

"Someplace where we can talk."

"Right…"

Tim drove out of the city to an older but well-kept neighborhood and, much to Tony's surprise, stopped in front of and equally old and well maintained church. Tony followed him as he walked to the rear of the church and down a set of steps to the basement, which opened into a small but tidy apartment.

"You live  _here_? Why?"

Tim chuckled softly. "It's a long story."

"Great. Let's hear it."

Tim waved him towards a comfortable-looking sofa and Tony sat while Tim went to the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a bottle of beer in each hand. He handed one to Tony and sat down in a chair next to the couch.

"I guess you have some questions," Tim began, and Tony snorted.

"Understatement of the century." He studied Tim for a moment before finally asking his first questions.

"Who are you, really?  _What_ are you?"

"My name is Timothy McGee, and I'm an Immortal."

Tony almost dropped his beer as he stared at the man in shock. "You're... _what?_ "

Tim rose from his chair and walked over to a small wooden chest sitting in the corner. He opened the chest and removed a piece of laminated paper, which he handed to Tony. "Look familiar?"

Tony gasped when he recognized the object. It was the same picture he had at home in his album.

"That's…"

"Your great-grandfather, Tony DiNozzo...and me."

"That's impossible."

"Improbable, maybe, but that  _is_  me. Tony was my first partner." Tim smiled sadly. "I was his first Probie."

"But...how?"

"I was born in 1978. In 2007, I was killed, and then I can back to life as an Immortal. We can't die by normal means." He gave Tony another sad smile. "And we don't age."

"'We'? There's more than one of you?" Tim nodded. "But...why?"

"No one knows. We've been around for a long time, and new ones keep showing up. We've never been able to figure out why."

"So you...you're really over 100 years old?" Tim nodded again. "That's...that's kind of cool...I think."

Tim laughed. "You're taking this much better than your great-grandfather did." His humor quickly faded. "Of course, he had a pretty good reason."

"So why...if you can live forever...why would you want to spend any of that time with someone like me?"

"I made a promise to Tony. He asked me to keep an eye on his family. Working with you is part of keeping that promise."

Tony stared at him for a moment before letting out a chuckle of his own. "This is...majorly weird. Have you...did you work with anyone else?"

"I helped your grandfather, once he became a detective. Not face to face, but through my network connections. I developed a program that helped track and predict when different types of crime would occur."

"So you  _are_  a geek." Tim smiled and nodded. "Who else?"

"Everyone I could. You're the first I've helped in person, though."

"I guess I should feel honored." He chuckled again. "My family had their own guardian angel and they didn't even know it." He met Tim's gaze. "Would you have told me if what happened tonight  _hadn't_ happened?"

"Probably not," Tim admitted. "It's nothing against you. We usually don't tell anyone unless we absolutely have to. I didn't tell your great grandfather right away, either." He winced. "Some things might have been better if I had, but...it all worked out in the end."

"And when you died to save him…?"

"I had to leave everything behind. It's happened since then, too, and if someone else had gotten there before I woke up-."

"You would have been dead again. Damn."

"Yeah." A sad expression appeared on his face. "So...can you handle this? Or am I going to need to leave again?"

"You're doing this as a favor, right? Not just to me, but to...Tony." Tim nodded. "Well then I guess it's not really up to me. It's a family legacy, and I, of all people, am not going to mess with that."

Tim gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"But I want to hear stories. You've got to have a million of them, right? I want to know how much of the stuff that's been passed down through my family is true."

"I can do that."

"Great." Tony took a sip of his beer and leaned back into the sofa. "Start at the beginning. Did you really get a tattoo on your ass to go out with great-great Aunt Abby?"

Tim chuckled and began the tale as Tony sat back to listen. By the time Tim had finished a few more stories, Tony realized how much he had been missing by isolating himself from others. The enjoyment Tim had experienced by being part of a larger family was clear, and the relationship he had had with his first partner was clearly something special. Tony wondered if he and Tim would ever be as close, and he found himself wanting to find out. It would probably take some work, but Tony DiNozzo had finally decided that he no longer wanted to be a solitary man.

The End


End file.
